Invasive Species Impacts: Why Care? · 2013-05-21 · Invasive Species Impacts: Why Care? -...

- Höÿike o Haleakalä Invasive Species Impacts: Why Care?

Invasive Species Impacts: Why Care?

Invasive Species Unit 2

Overview What’s the big deal about invasive species?

What damage could a few plants possibly cause? Non-native, alien plants and animals may seem harmless at first but their impact can be long lasting and severe. In extreme cases, they may be capable of driving a native species to extinction. When an endemic Hawaiian species goes extinct, it’s not just a loss for Hawaiÿi; it’s a loss for the entire planet. Invasive species affect more than just native Hawaiian ecosystems; they can also disrupt cultural practices, damage key industries such as tourism and agriculture, and pose threats to public health and safety. In this unit, students look at invasive species through the lens of each of these concerns.

Length of Entire Unit: 6 class periods

Unit Focus Questions1) In what ways do invasive species affect the

natural environment of Maui? The culture? The economy? Public health?

2) How have invasive species changed Maui over time?

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Invasive Species Impacts: Why Care? - Höÿike o Haleakalä


Unit at a Glance

Activity #1 “In Our Lifetime”: Kupuna StoriesStudents collect stories from community members, conduct research, and view historic photos and video clips to see what has shifted in the natural landscape of Maui.

Length: Two class periods (plus research)

Prerequisite Activity: None.

Objectives: • Researchanddocumenthistoricchangesin

the natural environment of Maui.• Interviewsomeonewhohasobservedchanges

in local landscape and biota first hand.• Createanessay,posterdisplay,brochure,

multimedia presentation, song, or chant documenting or reflecting on changes in the natural environment of Maui.

• Presentthefinishedprojecttotheclass.• Gaina“senseofplace”andahistoric perspective; connect shifts in the community

to shifts in natural resources.

Activity #2Raindrops and Watersheds: Size MattersStudents recreate rain events and measure the size of water droplets that fall from simulated miconia leaves versus native forest plants.

Length: One class period

Prerequisite Activity: None

Objectives: • Demonstratehowaplant’sleafshapecan

affect watershed functionality and promote erosion.

• Understandtheimpactofalieninvasiononbiodiversity.

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Activity #3Frogs on Floor FourStudents role-play, assuming the responsibilities of Maui resort managers faced with the problem of a coqui frog infestation on the hotel grounds. By calculating the direct and indirect costs of various control strategies, students draft a budget that reveals the financial impact of invasive species on the island’s tourist industry.

Length: One class period


Objectives: • Calculatethedirectandindirectcostsofa

coqui frog infestation at an imaginary resort, based on real life scenarios.

• Createabudgetthatapproachestheinvasivespecies issue from a businessperson’s

perspective.• Presentthebudgetandarticulatereasoning

behind decisions made to classmates.

Activity #4Plagues: Past and PresentPerforming a reader’s theater, students explore the historic 1899 outbreak of bubonic plague in Honolulu. They document the causes and con-sequencesoftheoutbreak.Duringafollowingclass, the teacher infects select students with GloGerm™geltosimulateamysteryepidemic.Students use what they learned from the plague outbreak to develop an action plan, identify the pathogen, and stop its spread.

Length: Two class periods


Objectives: • Investigatetheimpactofalienplants,ani-

mals, invertebrates, and pathogens on human health and public safety.

• Explorethehistoricoutbreakofbubonicplague in Hawaiÿi.

• Createactionplaninresponsetoapotentialepidemic of rat lungworm disease.

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Enrichment Ideas• Createaposter,flyer,orbrochureexplaining

how invasive species affect a) watersheds, b) cultural resources, c) public health or, d) the economy. Have it reviewed for accuracy by anofficialattheHawaiÿiDepartmentofLandandResourceshttp://hawaii.gov/dlnrorMauiInvasiveSpeciesCommittee:(808)573-6472www.misc.org

Resources for Further Reading and ResearchLahaina: Waves of Change,filmbyEddieKamaeandMyrnaKamae,HawaiÿiLegacyFoundation,2008.(DVDincludedinthiscurriculumoravailable online at www.hoikecurriculum.org).

CuddihyandStone,Alteration of Native Hawaiian Vegetation.UniversityofHawaiÿiPress,1990.

CollegeofTropicalAgricultureandHumanResources(CTAHR)websiteaboutcoquifrogs:http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/coqui/index.asp

Forquestionsaboutratlungworm,calltheMauiDistrictHealthOfficeat984-8213orCTAHRMauiCooperativeExtensionOffice,at244-3242,ext.232.

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Activity #1

In Our Lifetime: Kupuna Stories

Length: Two class periods (depending on length of time allowed for final presentations), plus research project

Prerequisite Activity: None.

Objectives: • ResearchanddocumenthistoricchangesinthenaturalenvironmentofMaui.• Interviewsomeonewhohasobservedchangesinlocallandscapeandbiotafirsthand.• Createanessay,posterdisplay,brochure,multimediapresentation,song,orchantdocumentingor

reflecting on changes in the natural environment of Maui.• Presentthefinishedprojecttotheclass.• Gaina“senseofplace”andahistoricperspective;connectshiftsinthecommunitytoshiftsin

natural resources.

Kupuna

••• Class Period One: Discussion & Research TopicsMaterials & SetupLahaina: Waves of ChangeDVDincludedinthiscurriculum

For each student• StudentPages“TipsforInterviewing”(p.11)

Instructions1) AskstudentstheHawaiiannameofthetown,neighborhood,orstreetthattheyliveon.Dothey

knowwhatthenamemeans?ConsultTeacherBackground:“HawaiianPlaceNames”forexamplesofplacesnamedforanativeHawaiianspecies.Askstudentsiftheyknowifthesespeciesarestillpresent at these locations.

2) Encouragethemtothinkabouttheirnaturalsurroundings.Havetheynoticedchangesintheirneighborhood, at their favorite beach, surf break, or hiking trail? How?

3) Tellstudentstheywillinterviewakupuna or older local resident about how the natural landscape ofHawai‘ihaschangedintheirlifetimes.Afterwards,theywilltelltheirinterviewee’sstoryinadocumentary, music video, essay, class presentation, painting, slide show, song, or chant.

Vocabulary:

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4) Showthefilm,Lähainä: Waves of Change. Tell students to critique the film as they watch. What techniques do the filmmakers employ to create a sense of time and place? How are interviews, historic photos, and music incorporated? What kinds of things did interviewees talk about? Have studentstakenotes,recordinganynewfactstheylearnaboutLähainä,andanythingtheynoticeabout the craft of storytelling.

5) Havestudentsselectapersontointerview.TellthemtochoosesomeonewhohaslivedinHawai‘ifor a long time and has spent time outdoors—a fisherman, farmer, forester, rancher, surveyor, or pilot, for example. Hula dancers and cultural practitioners are also good choices. Their interviewee could be an older family member, family friend, or an employee at one of the agencies listed in TeacherBackground“Sources.”TheycanalsocontactHaleMakuaoranotherretirementcenterfor an interviewee.

6) PassoutStudentpage“TipsforInterviewing.”Helpstudentsdraftinterviewquestions.Topicstocoverinclude:disappearingforestormarineresources,newplant,animal,andinsectspeciesthataretakingtheplaceoftheoldones,medicinalandculturalplantsthatarenowrare.Don’tneglectpositive changes, such as the re-introduction of nënë, the Hawaiian goose, which was extinct on Maui.

7) Youwillneedtosettheparametersfortheinterviews,suchas:• Howlongstudentswillhavetoconducttheirinterviews.• Whentheywillneedtohandininterviewnotes.Thesenoteswillhelpformthebasisfortheir creative response.• Howstudentswilltelltheirinterviewee’sstory.Optionsincludeadocumentary,musicvideo, essay, class presentation, painting, slide show, song, or chant.• Howresearchandpresentationswillbeevaluated.

8) Schedule a day for presentations and allow students to perform or display their work.

Note:Dependingupontheneedsofyourstudents,youmayneedtoschedulesomeclasstimetohelpstudents refine their research questions, identify more sources of information, or develop their final presentation.

Journal Ideas• Describetheexperienceofinterviewingorresearchingyoursubject.Whatmadeitchallengingor

fun? What did you learn that you didn’t know before?• HowdidyourviewofMauichangeafteryourinterview?Whatdoyouimaginewillchangein

your lifetime? Have you already noticed changes in your natural environment?• Whodoyouthinkisresponsibleforthesechanges?Howcanyouaffectfuturechanges?Namefive

ways.

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Assessment Tools• Classdiscussion• Researchplansandinterviewnotes• Finalpresentations• Journalentries

Further Enrichment• WorkwiththeDigitalbus(www.digitalbus.org)tohelpstudentsproducevideosbasedontheir

interviews.• Havestudentscomposeachant,song,oressaycelebratingafavoritenaturalresourcethatstill

exists,forexample:aplacewheretheycatchfish,asurfbreakorwaterfall,anativeplant,insect,or bird.

• EncouragestudentstoentertheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency’sannual“SenseofWonder”competition by working with an elder person to collaboratively create a photograph, essay, poem, ordancethatcelebratesthenaturalworld.EntriesmustbeintergenerationalprojectsandaretypicallydueinJune;winnersareannouncedinNovember.Forfulldetails,visitwww.epa.govorhttp://www.epa.gov/aging/resources/thesenseofwonder/index.htm

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Teacher BackgroundHawaiian Place Names

Hawaiian place names often give clues to what once lived in an area. The following locales are named afteraHawaiianplantoranimal.Chooseafewtodiscuss.Askstudentsiftheycanthinkofanyex-amples. (It might be helpful to have a detailed map or atlas to reference these sites.)

Examples from Maui:Häli‘imaile:strewnmaile vines Hanawana:wana, or sea urchin, bayKanaio:thenaio, or false sandalwoodKaimuloli:ovenforloli,orseacucumber(anareanearKaupowherepeoplewerefondofbakedseacucumber.)Ke‘anae:mullet(alsoawhitetarovariety)Keone‘ö‘io:‘ö‘io or bonefish (Albula glossondonta) beach Lïpoa:lipoa seaweedMakawao:thebeginningoftheforestMokupipi:pearloysterislandNäpili:thepili grassÖma‘opio:whistlingthrushPu‘ukoli‘iStreet:koli‘i, a lobelia that grows in the upper forest, hillPu‘unënë:nënë hillWaihe‘e:squidliquidWaikamoi:waterofthemoi, threadfishUkumehame:paidmehame wood‘Ulupalakua:ÿulu, breadfruit, ripening on the back of carriers

Examples from other islands:ÿAiea(Oÿahu):aiea treeHalePalaoa(Länaÿi):houseofthewhaleHale‘iwa(Oÿahu):houseoftheiwa, or frigate bird Haleloulu(Molokaÿi):housethatchedwithloulu palmHanakoa(Kauaÿi): koa tree bayHinanoStreet(Oÿahu):malehala flowerHonohononui(Hawaiÿi):muchhonohono grassHonoko‘i(Molokaÿi):adzebayIholenaStreet(Oÿahu):HawaiianbananavarietyÿIolaniPalace(Oÿahu):royalio, or hawkKa‘a‘awa(Oÿahu):wrassefishKahala(Oahu):amberjackfishKamiloholu(Hawaiÿi):theswayingmilotreeKeahole(Hawaiÿi):ahole fishKoa‘e(Hawaiÿi):tropicbirdKo‘ele(Länai):darksugarcaneMiloli‘i(Hawaiÿi):finetwist(Thevillagewasnotedforitsexcellentcordage.)

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Mohokea(Hawaiÿi):whitemoho, Hawaiian flightless rail bird (extinct)Mohopilo(Hawaiÿi):moho, flightless rail bird’s stinky droppingsMokihana(Kauaÿi):mokihana treeOlokele(Kauaÿi):anothernamefori‘iwi honeycreeper birdPolihua(Länai):eggsinbosom(aftertheseaturtleswhonesthere)Puako(Hawaiÿi):sugarcaneblossomsPunalu‘u(Hawaiÿi):coraldivedforWaialae(Kauaÿi):mudhenwaterWaianae(Oÿahu):mulletwaterWaikoloa(Hawaiÿi):koloa, or duck waterWaikïkï(Oÿahu):spoutingwater,naturalsprings

Sources

The following gardens and parks likely have staff that would be willing to talk to students about changes in natural landscapes. They are also places students can go to see examples of plants and animalsthatarenowrare.(Contactstaffpriortovisitforexplanatorytours.)

Maui Nui Botanical GardenMauiNuiBotanicalGardenhasnumerousrare,nativeplantsinadditiontoacollectionofcanoeplants.150KanaloaAve.,Kahului,Hawaiÿi,(808)249-2798.www.mnbg.org

Kahanu Garden and Pi‘ilanihale HeiauPi‘ilanihaleHeiau,thelargestprehistoricmonumentinHawai‘i,wasbuiltinthe14thcentury.The122-acre grounds include a canoe garden focusing on the ethnobotany of the Pacific. Self-guided tours,weekdays10-2,$10.GuidedtoursSaturdays,$25.NearendofUlaÿinoRd.,Häna,Hawaiÿi,(808)248-8912.

Haleakalä National ParkHaleakaläNationalParkoffersvisitorsanabundanceofnativeHawaiianhabitats,rangingfromtherainforestsofKïpahulutothespectacularmoonscapeofthesummit.HawaiianhoneycreepersareeasilyviewedonashorthikestartingatHosmer’sGrove.CraterRd.,Kula,Hawaiÿi,(808)572-4400.www.nps.gov/hale

ÿÏao Valley State ParkÿÏaoValleyhasathrivinggardenofcanoeplants,aswellasapopulationofnativestreamcreaturesthatcanbeviewedwithamaskandsnorkel.5ÿÏaoValleyRd.,Wailuku,Hawaiÿi,(808)587-0300.

Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum HistoricphotosshowwhatMauilookedlikeduringtheinitialphasesofsugarproduction.3957HansenRd.,Kahului,Hawaiÿi,(808)871-8058.www.sugarmuseum.com

Bailey House MuseumThis small museum contains many historic artifacts, including the skins of extinct Hawaiian birds

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andanassortmentofnativetreesnails.Additionally,EdwardBailey’spaintingsdepicttheHawaiianIslandsastheywerelongago.2375MainSt.,Wailuku,Hawaiÿi,(808)244-3326.www.mauimuseum.org

Baldwin House MuseumTherestored1835homeofReverendDwightBaldwinhasrelicsfromthe19thcentury,includingthedoctor’s collection of native tree snails and furniture made from rare woods.120DickensonSt.,Lähainä,Hawaiÿi,(808)661-3262.www.lahainarestoration.org/baldwin.html

Books

Beckwith, Mary Warren, The Kumulipo: A Hawaiian Creation Chant.UniversityofHawaiÿiPress,1981

Bird, Isabella, Six months in the Sandwich Islands.UniversityofHawaiÿiPress,Honolulu,1966.

Cuddihy,LindaandStone,Charles.Alteration of Native Hawaiian Vegetation, Effects of Humans, Their Activities and Introductions.UniversityofHawaiÿiPress,Honolulu,1990.

Juvik,SoniaP.andJuvik,JamesO.,Atlas of Hawaii, third edition.GeographyDept.,Univ.Hawaiÿi.UniversityofHawaiÿiPress,Honolulu,1998.

Rock,JosephFrancisCharles,The Indigenous Trees of the Hawaiian Islands.CollegeofHawaiÿi,1913. Pukui,MaryKawena,‘Olelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings. Bishop Museum Press,Honolulu,1983.

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Tips for InterviewingPrepare:Setupatimeandplaceforyourinterview.Choosesomewherequietandallowatleast1½to2hoursforyourinterview.Draftyourquestionsinadvance;usethelistbelowtohelpyougetstarted.Addadditional questions as appropriate.

Bring a recording device, or take notes on paper or computer. If you take notes, it’s okay to ask the person to slow down while you write down what they’ve said.

Get started:Don’tbeshy!Peoplegenerallyliketotalkaboutthemselves, but sometimes they need some encouragement to get started.

Once they’ve started sharing, be a respectful listener; don’t interrupt.

Start with the facts:Whatisyourfirstandlastname?(Getthe correct spelling.)When were you born?Where were you born?How long have you lived on Maui?Where do you live now?What kind of work do you do?Areyoumarried?Doyouhavechildren?Howmany?

Move on to stories:Where is your favorite place to go outside on Maui?What do you like to do there?DescribehowMaui(ortheirfavoriteplaceon Maui) looked when you were young. What has changed over the years?What is the biggest change you remember witnessing?

Didyouoryourfamilymembersgatherfoodfrom the forest or ocean? What kinds?

Ask for details:Is there a kind of food or flower or tree that you really miss?Arethereplacesyouusedtogotothatyoudon’t go to anymore? Why?DoyourememberthebombingofKaho‘olawe?Describewhatitwaslike.DoyourememberwhenLähainäandPäÿiasugar mills were still operational?What did Pu‘unënë (or other town) look like in theolddays?(Askwhatyeartheyare describing.)What kind of transportation did you use back then? Howmanypeoplelivedinyourtown/area?

Ask for feelings and value statements:What do you love most about Maui?How do the changes around the island make you feel? Doyouthinkpeoplewholiveherehavea responsibility to preserve our resources?What do you think Maui will be like in the future?

Conclude:Besuretothankyourintervieweeforhis/hertime.Explainhowyouwillusetheinformationtheysharedwithyou.Considerofferingtoshareyourfinalproduct with them.

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Activity #2

Raindrops and Watersheds: Size Matters!Length: One class period


Objectives: • Demonstratehowaplant’sleafshapecanaffectwatershedfunctionalityandpromoteerosion.• Understandtheimpactofalieninvasiononbiodiversity.

Vocabulary:AquiferErosionDisdrometer

KineticHydrologyThroughfall

WatershedUnderstory

••• Class Period One: Measuring the DropMaterials & SetupFor each student• StudentPages“WaterDropletLabWorksheet”(p.16)

For each group of 3-5 students • Asamplingoflargeandsmallleavespickedfromaroundtheschoolgroundsorbroughtfrom

home.Forlargeleaves,thebiggerthebetter(example:ginger,ti,orbananaleaves).Forsmallleaves, leaves averaging three inches long are ideal.

• Flour(2-3cups)• Plate• Spraybottle• Ruler• Meshmetalstrainer,suchasanextralargeteastrainer

Note:UsetheinformationintheTeacherBackground“RaindropsandHydrology”(p.15) to familiarizeyourselfwiththemiconiahydrologyresearch.Also,moderatingthespeedandnumber

ofwaterdropletsfallingfromtheleafcanbetricky.Dotheexperimentonceinfrontoftheclasstodemonstrate how to allow only one droplet to fall into the flour at a time.

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Instructions:1) ForcontextaboutmiconiaanditseffectsonnativeHawaiianforests,showtheMiconia Threatens

Maui video included in this curriculum. (Alsoavailableonthewebathttp://youtu.be/eSwVnIUtGcM.)

2) Tell students that they will be replicating a scientific study that identifies one way that miconia alters the ecosystem.

3) Breaktheclassintogroupsof3-5students.Tellthemtheywillbesimulatingrainfallingfromlarge and small leaves in the forest, and comparing the size of drops.

4) Haveeachgrouppouralayerofflourintheplate(roughly1-2inchesdeep)andlevelitoffwiththe ruler.

5) Sprayaleafwithfifteensquirtsofwaterfromaspraybottle.Dothisawayfromtheflour.

6) Quicklytiltthetipoftheleafovertheflourandallow4-5raindropstorolloffthetipoftheleafandintotheflour.Makesureeachdroplethasitsownclearspaceontheflour.Dropletswilljointogetherontheleaf,buttrynottolettwodropletsfallinthesamespot.Afterfiveindividualdroplets fall onto the flour, remove the leaf.

7) Yourflourshouldnowbedottedwithindividualraindroplets.Flourwillcongealaroundeachraindroplet.Carefullyseparateeachraindroplet.

8) Siftthedropletsfromtheplatebypouringtheflourthroughastrainer.(Youmaywanttogentlyroll each droplet into a ball.) Measure the diameter of each droplet in millimeters. If droplets are oblong shapes, measure both sides and record the average size.

9) Have students repeat instructions 2-6 twice, using large leaves and small leaves. They will record the measurements for ten drops from a large leaf and ten drops from a small leaf on the Student Page“WaterDropletLabWorksheet.”

10)Havestudentscomparethesizesofthedropletsthatresultedfromthelargerleavestothosefromthe smaller leaves.

11)Engagestudentsindiscussion:weretheresignificantdifferencesinthesizeofraindropsfallingfrom the different leaves? How might larger or smaller raindrops make a difference in the func-tionsoftherainforest?Didtheshapeoftheleavesmakeadifference?UseTeacherBackground“RaindropsandHydrology”toexplaincontextofexperiment.

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••• Class Period Two: UnderstoryMaterials & Setup• Asamplingoflargeandsmallleavespickedfromaroundtheschoolgroundsorbroughtfrom

home• Twigs,smallrocks,mossandotherleaflitter• Flour,diatomaceousearth,orsoil• Flattrayorbakingsheet• Spraybottle

Instructions1) Constructasimulated“healthyforestunderstory,”usingflour,diatomaceousearthoractualsoil,

smallrocks,sticks,moss,andleaves.Arrangethecomponentsonaflattray.Elevateonesideofyour forest to represent the gentle rise in elevation typical of the mountain rainforests of Maui. Place a bin on the downhill side of your tray to collect debris.

2) Have each group of students select a nozzle setting on the sprayer, ranging from mist to stream.

3) Sprayfortwominutesandrecordthevolumeoferosionaldebristhathaswashedfromthetray.

4) Constructa“miconiaunderstory,”usingonlyflourorsoilandseverallargesticks.(Thesticksrepresentmiconia’sshallowroots.)Omitmossesandleaves.Repeattheexerciseabove,recordmeasurements, and share results in class discussion.

5) Discusstheresultsasaclass.WhatmightthismeanforHawaiianforeststhathavebeeninvadedby miconia?

Journal Ideas• Whatwereyourexpectationspriortoconductingthelab?Didyouthinktheleafsizewouldaffect

the water droplet size? Why or why not?• HowcouldsoilhealthinHawaiianforestsaffectcoralreefs?Agriculture?Publicsafety?

Assessment Tools• Labresults• Participationinclassdiscussion• Journalentries

Further Enrichment • Show“Hydrology”powerpointanddiscuss.(Includedinthiscurriculum.)• ReadtheRobertHobdy’sessay,“TheManyFacesofKoa.”(Includedintheappendix.)• Havestudentsdesignalabtotestthevariancebetweenslender,medium,andthickkoa phyllodes

as described in Hobdy’s essay.

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Teacher Background “Raindrops and Hydrology”

Miconia is widely considered the worst weed currently invading Pacific island rain forests. The South Americantreehasinvadedover60percentoftheislandofTahiti,wheresunless,single-speciesgroveshave replaced native forest, encouraged erosion, and caused landslides. In Hawai‘i, miconia has infestedhugeswathsofrainforestonMauiandHawaiÿiIsland.Comprehensivecampaignstocontrolitsspreadhavebeenunderwaysincethe1990s.

Scientists have known for decades that miconia infestations reduce watershed function in tropical Pacificrainforests.Recently,somehydrologistssetouttodemonstrateexactlyhow.Theystartedbymeasuring the size of raindrops falling in Hawaiian rain forests. Most raindrops average 1-2 mm in size. The world’s largest recorded raindrops were 8mm and fell over Hilo, Hawai‘i. Bigger drops usually break apart as they fall through the air.

Rainwaterthathitstreesorotherobstructionsonitswaytotheearthiscalled“throughfall.”Whenthescientists measured the size of throughfall falling from miconia’s large leaves, as compared to the size of throughfall falling from the smaller leaves of native plants, they discovered a big difference. The drops falling from miconia leaves were consistently larger.

Largewaterdropletspossessgreaterkineticenergythansmalldropsastheyfallontotheforestfloor.They promote greater erosion, resulting in exposed roots, large ruts in the soil, and diminished water retention. The scientists were able to show that the size of the leaves played a role in reducing water-shed function. This lab is a replication of their experiments—only instead of using an expensive laser disdrometer to measure the raindrop size, you’ll use flour, water, and a lot of patience.

Miconia’s umbrella-like leaves negatively affect watershed function in other ways, too. Small plants cannot grow beneath the shade of giant miconia leaves. In a miconia-dominated forest, the multitude of ferns, small shrubs, lichens and mosses sponge that characterizes native Hawaiian forests disap-pears.Understoryplantswitheranddie,tobereplacedbyhundredsofmiconiaseedlings,exposedroots,and,ultimately,baresoil.Rainwaterthatwouldhavesoakedintothesponge-likeunderstoryinstead washes off a hard surface, carrying precious topsoil away.

Other large-leafed plants such as banana and ti plants don’t cause the damage that miconia does in Hawai‘i.Largeleavesaren’ttheonlyweaponmiconiaunleashesontherainforest.Italsomaturesrapidly, dispersing millions of microscopic seeds per year, and growing in tightly packed single-speciesgroves.Itsshallowrootsystemincreasesthelikelihoodoferosionandlandslide.Addthesecomponents up and you’ve got a severely impaired watershed.

Rainforestsarecriticalreservoirsofwaterforislandcommunities.Rainfallrechargesundergroundaquifers, which are tapped by local communities. Without healthy rain forests, we risk losing our primarysourceofdrinkingwater.Additionally,whenerodedforestsoilswashdownfromthemountainintotheocean,theysmothercoralreefs.Combatinginvasivespeciesinourforestsiscritical to maintaining the integrity of island ecosystems.

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Water Droplet Lab WorksheetName:___________________________

Hypothesis:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Procedure:_________________________________________________________________________

Materials:_________________________________________________________________________

Recordwaterdropletsizeinmillimeters:

Small leaf1. __________________2. __________________3. __________________4. __________________5. __________________6. __________________7. __________________8. __________________9. __________________10. __________________

Averagesize:_______________

Largeleaf1. __________________2. __________________3. __________________4. __________________5. __________________6. __________________7. __________________8. __________________9. __________________10. __________________

Averagesize:_______________

Conclusion:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Activity #3

Frogs on Floor Four!Length: One class period, with reading assignment


Objectives: • Calculatethedirectandindirectcostsofacoquifroginfestationatanimaginaryresort,basedon

real life scenarios.• Createabudgetthatapproachestheinvasivespeciesissuefromabusinessperson’sperspective.• Presentthebudgetandarticulatereasoningbehinddecisionsmadetoclassmates.

Vocabulary:

AlienAmphibianDensity

EradicateInfestationInvasive

NativeNocturnal

••• Class Period One: Developing Resort Budgets

In Advance: HavestudentsreadStudentPages“AMostUnwantedNeighbor-CoquiFrogs,”pp.(27-28) aloud in class or assign as homework.

Materials & Setup“CoquiCalls”audiofileontheDVDincludedinthiscurriculumoronthewww.hear.org.

For each student: • StudentPage“AMostUnwantedNeighbor-CoquiFrogs”(pp.27-28)

For each group of four to five students:• StudentPages“FrogsonFloorFour.”(p.24)• Onewildcard(fromtheTeacherBackground“WildCard”page(pp.20-23)

Instructions1) Playthe“CoquiCalls”recordingofcoquifrogsfortheclass.Askstudentsiftheyknowwhatthe

sound is. Tell them it is the mating call of the coqui frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui),pronounced:ee-looth-er-o-dact-y-lusco-kee.Askstudentsiftheywouldbeabletosleepwhilethatsoundcontinued through the night.

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2) Reviewthereadingassignment.

3) TellstudentsthattheywillbeactingastheownersandmanagersofalargeresortonMauithatisinfested with coqui. They will investigate the financial costs of coqui frog outbreak, based on real numbersfromalocalresort’sbudget.Dividetheclassintogroupsoffourtofivestudents.Explainthat each group is in charge of developing a budget for their imaginary resort.

4) HandouttheStudentPages“ControlStrategies,”and“ResortBudget”toeachgroup.Haveeachgroup select a) a general manager who will facilitate the group’s discussion and make sure it completes its assignment, b) one or two administrative assistants to do the math c) a secretary whowillfilloutthe“ResortBudget,”andd)apublicrelationsspokespersonwhowillpresentthegroup’s plan and rationale to the class. (They can also choose a name for their resort.) Tell them tofilloutanannualbudget,basedontheirhotel’sexpensesandrevenues.Allowstudentstoworktogetherfor20minutes.

5) Afteryourstudentshavecompletedtheirinitialbudget,tellthemthatmidwaythroughtheyearthecoquisituationhaschanged.Passoutonewildcardpergroup.Givegroups5-10minutestodiscuss how this might affect their strategy and revise their budget accordingly for the second half of the year. When they are complete, they will present their budgets and the reasoning behind their choices to the class.

6) Whenapproximately25minutesoftheclassremains,haveeachgroup’sspokespersongivea3-5minute overview of the group’s budget.

7) Attheendofclass,askstudentstodiscusswhattheylearnedbydoingthisactivity.Whichchoicesturned out to be the most financially prudent and why?

Journal Ideas• Allbusinessownersneedtoprioritizeexpensesandestimatelongandshorttermcosts.Whichof

the coqui scenarios seemed likely to occur? Which seemed less likely? Why?• Doyouthinklegislationmakingitillegaltoharborcoquifrogsonyourpropertyisagoodidea?

Why or why not?• Canyouthinkofotherstrategiesfordealingwithacoquifroginfestationataresort?Describe.• Whatotherwaysmightinvasivespeciesaffectpeople’sfinances?

Assessment Tools• Groupparticipationandclasspresentations• StudentPages“ResortBudget”and“ResortBudgetExplanation”• Journalentries

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Teacher VersionResort Budget - Sample Answer Key

Base - Annual Revision due to Coqui Midyear RevisionRevenue

200roomsx$300x365xoccupancy

100%occupancy21,900,000

(80% occupancy)17,520,000

Food&Beverage(andother)

5,000,000 4,600,000

Revenue Subtotal: 26,900,000 22,120,00010%tax(basedonrevenuelisted above)

2,690,000 2,212,000

Add Total Revenue: 29,590,000 24,332,000

Expenses

7.25%Occtax 1,587,750 1,270,0004%GEtax 1,183,600 973,280Management Staff 2,700,000 2,700,000Housekeeping 2,200,000 2,156,000Landscaping/Engineering 1,000,000 1,000,000Reception,BellDesk,Valet 2,200,000 2,156,000Utilities 1,900,000 1,862,000Laundry 420,000 411,600Pool Cleaner 50,000 50,000Phone and Internet 125,000 125,000Property Insurance 900,000 900,000Property tax ($12 per $1,000 of assessed value)

1,000,000 1,000,000

Food&BeverageandOther(Sales,Administration)

3,000,000 2,940,000

Marketing Expenses 1,000,000 1,000,000County fine 10,000Outside company to spray citric acid $200 per hour @ 25 hours

5,000

Add Total Expenses 19,266,350 15,388,080 30,388,080

Net Income or Loss (Total revenue minus

total expenses)

10,323,650 8,943,920 -6,056,080

(Expenses in bold are fixed; they stay the same regardless of occupancy.)

Activity #3

(for Control Strategy A “Do Nothing” with “Maui County Council” Wild Card)

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Invasive Species Unit 2Copy Master

Teacher BackgroundWild Cards

Cutoutthefollowingwildcards.Midwaythroughclass,passoutonecardtoeachstudentgroup.Theletterscorrespondtothestrategiestheychoseinitially.Forexample,iftheychoseA)DoNothing,theyshouldrespondtotheA)instructionontheirwildcard.Tellthemtorevisetheirbudgetaccordinglyforthe second half of the year. When they are complete, they will present their budgets and the reasoning behind their choices to the class.

Maui County Council has passed legislation making it illegal to harbor frogs on your property.

A or E:ChooseanotherstrategyandpaytheCounty$10,000infines.

B or C: No change in budget.

D: ChooseanotherstrategyandpaytheCounty$500infines.

Landscaping department plants areca palms infested with frog eggs.

A or E: No change in budget.

B:Payemployees$600tore-treat.

C:Payoutsidecompany$1,000tore-treat.

D: The children’s camp is overwhelmed and can’t keep up with the growing frog popula-tion.Chooseanewstrategyandbalancebudget accordingly. (Include the expenses for both strategies.)

TripAdvisor reviews condemn hotels with frogs, describing horrors of sleepless nights.A: Reduceyouroccupancyrevenueby50percent.B or C: Increaseoccupancyrevenueby25percent.Guestsarebookingroomsatyourhotel, rather than at those infested with coqui. D: No change in budget. Since your strategy keeps the frog population down but does not eliminate it entirely, you don’t lose revenue, but you don’t gain any either. E: Reduceyouroccupancyrevenueby30percent; some of your advertising in favor of frogs was effective.

Coqui frogs become accepted.

A, B, C, or D: Reducerevenueby5percent.While most guests have come to accept another pest, some still can’t sleep with frog noise and stop coming to Hawaii altogether.

E:Increaserevenueby5percent;nowthatpeople accept the frogs, your hotel is well positioned to be a tourist attraction.

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Brown tree snakes invade Maui.

A or E: Now that Maui is crawling with snakes, nobody cares about the frogs, right? Wrong. Snakes feed on coqui and promptly infest your property. People are terrified to bringtheirchildrentoyourresort.Reduceoccupancyby85percent.

B or C: No change in budget.

D: The camp counselors refuse to catch snakes andquit.Chooseanewstrategy.

Coqui frogs bring property values down; investors back out.

A:Gobankrupt.

B or C:Youdon’thavefrogs;nochangeinbudget.

D:Youhavefrogs,butinsmallenoughnumbers that they can be still be effectively controlled.Chooseanewstrategy.

E: Sell your company for a loss to frog researchersfromPuertoRico.

Neighbors sue when frogs infest their property.

A or E: Pay$150,000inlegalfees,plusthecostofprofessionaltreatment(ControlstrategyC).

B or C: Youdon’thavefrogs;nochangeinbudget.

D: Youhaveafewfrogs,butnotenoughtowarrant a lawsuit. The judge dismisses the case.Pay$500inlegalfees.

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Frogs on Floor Four!YouownatenmilliondollarresortonMauiwithtwohundredroomsthatgofor$300pernight.Youraverageoccupancyis100percent.Whileyouarecreatingthehotel’sannualbudget,anemployeeinformsyouthatthepropertyhasasmallbutgrowinginfestationofcoquifrogs.You’veheardthatcoqui frogs are causing problems on the Big Island—driving away customers looking for a quiet nights’ sleep and reducing the value of the real estate.

Youaskyourmanagerstocomeupwithseveralstrategiesinresponsetothisnews.It’syourjobtomaintainaprofitableresort.Choosethestrategyyoufeelwillbestprotectyourfinancialinterests.Revisethebasebudgetontheresortbudgetworksheettoreflectyourchoice.

Coqui Frog Response Strategies

A. Do nothingDirect cost: Twenty percent lower occupancy rate due to guests who refuse to put up with noisePotential cost: Continueddropinoccupancyasreputationfor sleepless nights builds, diminished prop-erty value, legal battles

B. Train employees to spray citric acidDirect costs: $20perhour@50hours$4,000fortrainingmanuals,equipmentand safety gear $1,000forcitricacidPotential cost: Medical expenses in case of employee injury, re-treatment

C. Hire outside company to spray citric acidDirect cost: $200perhour@25hoursPotential cost: Re-treatment

D. Use children’s camp attendees to catch frogsDirect cost: $25perhour@4hourstotraincampcounselors how to catch and dispose of frogs5percentloweroccupancyrateduetoguests who refuse to put up with noisePotential cost: Ineffective; reduced occupancy; diminished property value

E. Develop PR campaign celebrating frogs Direct cost: $3,500foramarketingcampaign:brochures, advertisements and radio spots$30perhour@40hoursforextramarketing staff Potential cost: Legalbattles

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Base - Annual Revision due to Coqui Midyear RevisionRevenue

200roomsx$300x365xoccupancy

100%occupancy17,520,000

Food&Beverage(andother)

5,000,000

Revenue Subtotal:10%tax(basedonrevenuelisted above)

Add Total Revenue:

Expenses

7.25%Occtax 1,270,2004%GEtax 2,700,000Management Staff 2,700,000 2,700,000Housekeeping 2,200,000Landscaping/Engineering 1,000,000 1,000,000Reception,BellDesk,Valet 2,200,000Utilities 1,900,000Laundry 420,000Pool Cleaner 50,000 50,000Phone and Internet 125,000 125,000Property Insurance 900,000 900,000Propertytax($12per$1,000ofassessedvalue)

1,000,000

Food&BeverageandOther(Sales,Administra-tion)

3,000,000

Marketing Expenses 1,000,000 1,000,000

Add Total Expenses

Net Income or Loss (Total revenue minus

total expenses)

Resort Budget

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(Expenses in bold are fixed; they stay the same regardless of occupancy.)

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Resort Budget ExplanationGeneralManager:________________________________________________________AdministrativeAssistants:__________________________________________________Secretary:_______________________________________________________________PublicRelationsSpokesperson:______________________________________________

Strategy your group chose:

________________________________________________________________________

Why:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Midyear revisions:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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A Most Unwanted Neighbor - Coqui Frogs

From The Maui NewsMarch 14, 2010 - Kia‘i Moku by Adam Radford

ArecenttriptoHilohighlightedtheimpactcoquifrogscanhaveonourqualityoflife.Itwasnotjustthe chorus heard throughout town and in my hotel room, but the fact that they could be heard while havingdinner,enjoyingabeachparkandhikingthroughnativeforests.They’reeverywhere.Recentestimatesindicatethatcoquihaveinfestedmorethan60,000acresofEastHawaii,fromtheoceanto4,000feetinelevation.WithHawaiÿiCountynowplanningtoliquidateitscoqui-controlequipment,this noisy neighbor seems to have become a permanent resident on the island of Hawaiÿi.

My work creates many opportunities to talk about coqui, and I am often asked why they are perceived asanuisanceinHawaiÿiwhentheyarebelovedintheirnativehomeofPuertoRico.One consideration is that they have no natural enemies here and can reach population densities more than twice that of their native range. This may cause significant problems for native insects (which they eat), change soil composition to the benefit of non-native plant species and compete with Ha-waii’s native birds for food. Possible economic impacts in infested areas include diminished property values and sales, a change in the quality of visitor experiences due to their persistent nocturnal calls and decreased sales in the floriculture and nursery industry.

DuringmyshortvisittoHilo,IlearnedthatacolleaguewithdeeptiestoHawaiÿiagriculturewasfacing the prospect of moving and foregoing personal professional opportunities, primarily because

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of the coqui. These experiences strengthened my motivation to keep coqui from becoming widely established on Maui.

CoquiarebelievedtohavebeenintroducedtoHawaiÿibyhitchhikingonplantsorassociatedproductsinthelate1980s.Sincethen,coquihaveshownuponmostofthemainHawaiianIslands,inCali-fornia,andGuamonplantshipments.Thisisstilltheprimaryavenuefordispersal,particularlyfromheavily infested areas. To help minimize the risk of introducing coqui to your neighborhood, the Maui InvasiveSpeciesCommitteestartedacoqui-freecertificationprogram.Thevoluntaryprogramencour-ages plant industry participants to adopt specific practices to reduce movement via the nursery trade. Ifyouseeabusinessdesignatedas“coqui-free,”youcanfeelconfidentthatyouwillnotbepurchasingcoqui along with your plants or plant products.

LiketheBigIsland,Mauihascoqui.UnliketheBigIsland,Mauihasonlysixinfestedareas,whichcoveranestimated227acres.Elevenpopulationcenters(areaswithfiveormorecallingmales)havebeenremovedsince2004.Fiveothershaveverylownumbersofcoqui.Really,onlyonesubstantialpopulation remains. Maui has kept populations from becoming established by quickly responding to reportsofnewcoquilocations.Althoughnewintroductionsfrominfestedareasareaconstantconcernfor Maui residents, quickly identifying and capturing a few rogue males typically prevents a couple of coquifrombecomingthousands.Leftuncheckedorunreported,coquipopulationsonMauiwouldbesuretorivalEastHawaiÿiatsomepoint.

InHäÿiku,forexample,anareathatoncehadlownumbersofcoquihasnowspilledoverintoasteep-sidedgulch.Effortshavebeguntoremovecoquifromthe225-acreareabyapplyinga12to16percentsolution of citric acid (a food additive). But challenging terrain and trying to work at night (when coqui are most active) have demanded the development of creative citric application tools. These include fixed-line sprinklers, high-volume sprayers and even limited use of a helicopter in inaccessible areas.Althoughdaunting,successfulcontroleffortsoverthelastfouryearshaveshownthatthekeytopreventing coqui from permanently establishing is early detection of new locations, repeated system-atic treatment of known populations and removal of frog-friendly habitat.

Unfortunately,eventhecombinedresourcesofstateandcountyagenciesonHawaii,aswellasregularoutings by community-based coqui control groups, have been no match for the coqui.

On Maui, we only have one large population left. We still have a strong chance to become and remain coqui-free.PleasehelpbycallingtheMauiInvasiveSpeciesCommitteeat573-MISC(6472)ifyouhappen to hear a coqui frog.

More information about the coqui-free program can be found at www.coquifreemaui.org.

* Adam Radford is the vertebrate operations supervisor for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. He manages MISC’s efforts to control invasive animals and banana bunchy top virus.

http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/529537/A-most-unwanted-neighbor---coqui-frogs.html

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Activity #4

Plagues: Past and PresentLength: Two class periods


In Advance: OrderGloGerm™powderandultravioletlightforClassPeriodTwo.(GloGerm™powderandlightcanbepurchasedfrom:www.hdd.net/cgi-bin/glogerm/hazel.cgi,www.amazon.comandwww.glogerm.com.Atwo-ouncebottlewilllastseveralyears.)

Optional: Assignpartsforthereader’stheateradayortwobeforeclasstoallowstudentstopractice.HavestudentsreadStudentPages“PlagueOnOurShores”andhighlighttheirparts.

Objectives: • Investigatetheimpactofalienplants,animals,invertebrates,andpathogensonhumanhealth and public safety.• ExplorethehistoricoutbreakofbubonicplagueinHawaiÿi.• Createanactionplaninresponsetoapotentialepidemicofratlungwormdisease.

Vocabulary:

Bubonic plagueContaminated EpidemicEpidemiology

LarvaeLymph nodeMeningitis Parasitic

••• Class Period One: Bubonic Plague in HawaiÿiMaterials & Setup

For each student: • StudentPages“PlagueonOurShores”scriptandworksheet(pp.45-53)

Note:Ifyouhaveextratime,youcanassignthescriptashomeworkandallowstudentspracticetheirroles before performing in class. They can bring props and costume elements from home, such as police or firemen’s hats, doctor’s coats, brooms (which can double as rifles), plastic or plush rats, and fire hose.

Theslideshow“BubonicPlagueinHonolulu1899”isincludedwiththiscurriculumandavailablefordownloadatwww.hoikecurriculum.org.Itduplicatesmuchoftheinformationinthe“PlagueonOurShores”scriptbutincludeshistoricphotosoftheevents.Ifyouthinkyourstudentswillhaveahard

Pathogens Quarantine

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time following the script, or want to present the information in a visual format, you can show this slideshow as a precursor to their reader’s theater.

Instructions1) UseinformationprovidedintheTeacherBackground“HowInvasiveSpeciesCanEndangerPublic

HealthandSafety,”toleadabriefdiscussiononthetopic.

2) Directstudentsinareader’stheaterperformanceof“PlagueonOurShores.”UsetheTeacherBackground“Readers’TheaterTips”asaguide.Breakstudentsintogroupsoffive.Eachgroupwill perform one act of the play.

3) PassouttheStudentPage“PlagueonOurShoresWorksheet”andhavethestudentsintheaudi-encetoassumearolewhilelistening.Theycanchoosefrom:shipcaptain,shippassenger,doctor,epidemiologist,Chinesemerchant,Hawaiianlandlord,lawyer,fireman,churchpastor,school-teacher, pregnant mother, plague victim, crematorium operator, or other relevant characters. They will discuss their various characters’ reactions to the play at the end of class.

4) Inadditiontonotingtheircharacters’reactions,instructstudentstolistenfora)stepstheDepart-ment of Health took to prevent the spread of the disease, b) what kind of resistance those steps were met with, and c) long-term effects of the bubonic plague outbreak in Hawaii. They will recordtheiranswersontheStudentPage“PlagueonOurShoresWorksheet.”

5) Discussworksheetanswersasaclass.

••• Class Period One: Responding to a Public Health EmergencyMaterials & SetupGloGerm™powderUltravioletlightTeacherCopyMaster“SymptomCards”(pp.43-44)

For each student: • StudentPages“DiseaseDiagnosisChart”(pp.54-55)• “RatLungwormDiseaseFactSheet”(pp.57-59)

For each group of students: • StudentPages“RatLungwormDiseaseResponseStrategy”(pp.56-67)

Instructions1) Beforeclass,smearalightcoatingofGloGerm™powderontofivestudents’desksorchairs.

(Alternately,applyittoyourownhandandchoosestudentstoshakehandswith.)Donottellthe students. This invisible powder is meant to simulate the slime trail of a slug infected with rat lungworm parasites.

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2) Reviewthematerialcoveredinclassperiodoneregardinghowinvasivespeciescanendangerpublic health.

3) Tellstudentsthatmembersoftheirclasshavebeeninfectedwithimaginarycasesofadiseasespread by invasive species. They will spend the rest of class working as a team to respond to this public health crisis.

4) Turntheoverheadlightsoffandhavestudentspasstheirhandsundertheultravioletlight.Thestudentswithglowinghandsareill.Givethe“sick”studentssymptomcards(CopyMaster“Symp-tomCards”),whichtheykeepprivatefromtheotherstudents.Telltheclassthatthestudentsbecameillaftersharingapicniclunch.Atfirsttheythoughtitwasthefluorfoodpoisoning.Butwhen the symptoms didn’t disappear after a day, they suspected something more serious and went to the emergency room. Now it’s up to the class to diagnose their sick classmates and protect the public from an epidemic.

5) PassouttheStudentPage“DiseaseDiagnosisChart.”Studentswilltaketurnsaskingtheir“sick”classmates questions from the chart to determine what illness they are all suffering from. By process of elimination, the class will agree on a diagnosis.

6) Afterthecorrectdiagnosisismade(ratlungwormdisease),showtheshortvideoonratlungwormdisease.http://animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/monsters-inside-me/videos/the-rat-lungworm.htm

7) PassouttheStudentPages“RatLungwormDiseaseFactSheet,”toeachstudentandreadaloudtogether.

8) Breakstudentsinto4-5groupstodeviseresponsestrategies.Tellthemtorecordtheirgroups’answersonStudentPage“RatLungwormDiseaseResponseStrategy.”

9) Gooverworksheetanswersinclass.

Journal Ideas• Speculatehowculturaldifferencesaffectedthespreadoftheplague.Mightthingshavebeen

different if the outbreak had started in the missionary or native Hawaiian communities?• Whatwouldbedifferentifanoutbreakofplagueoccurredtoday?• Rabiesisanotherexampleofadiseasespreadbyinvasivespecies.Writeafewparagraphsabout

how life in Hawaiÿi would be different if rabies were present here. If you don’t know what rabies infections are like, ask your classmates, teacher, and friends if they have lived an area with rabid animals.

Assessment Tools• Participationinreadersÿtheaterandclassdiscussion• Participationinclassactivity:diseasediagnosis• “PlagueonOurShores”and“RatLungwormResponseStrategy”worksheets• Journalentries

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Further Enrichment• Showthestudentsthevideo,SecretsoftheBlackDeathbyNatureVideoavailableonYouTube:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRZYb2Jl22g

• HavestudentsresearchcurrentpublichealthandsafetyplanscurrentlyforHawaiÿi.TheycancontacttheHawaiÿiDepartmentofHealthMauiBioterrorismPreparednessBranchat808-243-8640orvisitwww.hawaii.gov/health

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Teacher BackgroundHow Invasive Species Can Endanger Public Health and Safety

What is an invasive species? • A nonnative species that directly preys upon or outcompetes native species for resources

• An alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environ-mental harm or harm to human health

What types of organisms can be invasive?• Plants• Animals, including: birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals• Insects• Plant diseases• Animal diseases

What are some ways that invasive species might affect public health and safety?• Plants have toxins and can poison people or animals. Examples in Hawaiÿi: Fireweed

(Senecio madagascariensis) is toxic to livestock and is widespread on several islands. Rubber vine (Cryptostegia grandiflora) has sap that burns skin and causes respiratory problems. It is contained on Maui, but is problematic on Molokai.

• Plants can create safety hazards, such as unpassable thickets. Examples in Hawaiÿi: Gorse (Ulex europaeus) is a thorny shrub that infests Maui ranchlands, restricting the ability of humans and livestock to move through areas. Tumbleweed (Salsola tragus) is a noxious pest that disrupts traffic when it rolls across rural roads.

• Plants can spread wildfires. Examples in Hawaiÿi: Fountain grass (Cenchrus setaceus) is fire-adapted, meaning it provides fuel for fires and readily re-sprouts after a fire. It is contained on Maui, but covers many acres on the island of Hawaiÿi.

• Animals can bite humans. Examples in Hawaiÿi: Venomous snakes, big cats, monitor lizards, piranhas have all been reported on Maui, though none of these alien species are known to be established here.

• Insects bite or sting humans. Examples in Hawaiÿi: Mosquitoes, centipedes, scorpions, brown recluse spiders, little fire ants, and stinging nettle caterpillars attack humans, causing varying degrees of pain or allergic response. All of these species are alien, introduced pests.

• Animals and insects can damage agriculture. Examples in Hawaiÿi: Because of the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) infestation, Hawaiÿi cannot export many valu-able fruit crops and must bear the expense of costly inspections. Nurseries and farms

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infested with little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) and coqui frog (Eleutherodacty-lus coqui), have to decontaminate their products before selling. Employees at orchards on the island of Hawaiÿi have quit due to little fire ant infestations. Axis deer (Cervus axis) devastate corn and pineapple fields and eat valuable pasture meant for cattle, costing farmers and ranchers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

• Plant diseases can damage agriculture. Examples in Hawaiÿi: Banana bunchy top virus and papaya ringspot virus can devastate entire crops.

• Insects carry diseases that affect humans. Examples in Hawaiÿi: In 1899, fleas in-fested with bubonic plague bit rats and humans in Hawaiÿi, resulting in the quarantine and eventual burning of Chinatowns in Honolulu and Kahului and numerous deaths. Recently, several outbreaks of dengue fever, which is spread by mosquitoes, infected many people on Maui. Malaria, a potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease, has not been reported in Hawaiÿi, primarily because the mosquito species (Anopheles spp.) that carries the disease is not found here—yet.

• Animal diseases can affect the human population. Feral animals such as deer carry giardia, which can infect humans and other animals that drink contaminated water or eat feces. Cats and birds carry toxoplasmosis, which can infect humans who come in contact with the animals’ feces. Typhus and bubonic plague are carried by mice and other animals, and are spread to humans through fleabites. Rat lungworm multiplies in rats and is spread to humans via snails and snail slime. Swine flu, bird flu, and rabies are potential threats.

Infectious human diseases fall under the purview of the federal Center for Disease Control and the state Department of Health. When the diseases involve livestock, birds, or wild animals, natural resource managers have a role to play in halting the spread.

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Invasive Species Unit 2Activity #4

Cuban Slug Semi Slug

The rat lungworm can cause a disease called angiostrongyliasis

(rat lungworm disease) which can affect the brain and spinal cord.

Symptoms may include severe headache, stiffness of the neck and back, skin

tingling and sensitivity, sensitivity to light, hallucinations, nausea and vomiting.

What is Rat Lungworm Disease?

Foods such as raw produce, raw or undercooked snails, freshwater prawns, crabs and

frogs can be contaminated by an unseen parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis

(rat lungworm). Fish do not spread this parasite. The rat lungworm is found most often

in snails and slugs and has also been found in the flatworm. The worm infects rats,

which pass the parasite to snails, slugs, freshwater prawns, crabs and frogs, not humans.

Prevention DO NOT eat raw foods contaminated with the slime* from snails or slugs or

visible snail or slugs. WASH PRODUCE completely and boil snails, freshwater

prawns, crabs, and frogs for AT LEAST 3-5 MINUTES. Do not handle snails and

slugs with bare hands. Apply slug bait to eliminate slugs from your garden. Cover

your catchment tanks to prevent slugs and snails from having access. Controlling

rodents can also help control the rat lungworm. If you think you may have

angiostrongyliasis, see your health care provider and let him/her know of your exposures.

For more information call the Hawai‘i District Health Office Disease Investigations office: 808-933-0912

or see CDC website: http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/DPDx/HTML/Angiostrongyliasis.htm

*Scientists are not sure whether exposure to slime can make you sick

Giant African Snail Baby Semi Slug on nickel

Hawai‘i State Department of Health

Disease Investigation Branch

Chiyome L. Fukino, Director of Health

Linda Lingle, Governor of Hawai‘i January 29, 2009

EQUAL RIGHTS TO HEALTH SERVICES

We provide access to our activities without regard to

race, color, national origin, language, age, sex, gender

identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, or

disability. For help with a problem, please contact the

Disease Investigation Branch within 180 days of a

problem. You may also contact our departmental

Affirmative Action Officer at Box 3378, Honolulu, Hi

96801-3378, or at 586-4616 (voice/tty).

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Teacher BackgroundReaders’ Theater Tips

Tell students that they will be performing a dramatic re-enactment of real-life events that happened in Honoluluin1899.Encouragethemtoactwithflourish.Theirclassmateswilldependontheiractionsto know what is happening.Tell students that an effective reader….• Readswithexpression• Enunciates,usinghis/hervoiceeffectivelytoconveymeaning• Facestheaudienceandprojectshis/hervoice• Showsemotion• Usesprops,whenappropriate(thescriptcanbeaprop)Almosteveryonewillgetachancetodie.Theyshouldmaximizetheirturntoshineinthespotlight.Showemotion!Dieinagony!Afterdying,theyshouldstanduptoreadtheirnextlines.

Divideclassintogroupsoffivestudents.Eachgroupwillperformanact.Aftereachact,usethetalking points below to go over what happened. Students should listen carefully so they can fill in their worksheets as the play unfolds.

Talking points:

Act I: The InfectionWhat happened in this act?

A freighter unloaded cargo at Honolulu wharf. Large numbers of rats died. You Chong contracted plague.

HowdidYouChongcontracttheplague? From a fleabite.

Haveyoueverheardofbubonicplaguebefore?DidyouknowthatitcametoHawaiÿi?

The next act explains the history of this dreaded disease.

Act II: History of the Black DeathWhat happened in this act?

Three waves of bubonic plague struck: first in Constantinople (now called Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey), then Europe, and finally in Asia. The European epidemic killed a third of the population—40 million people. Scientists investigated the cause of the disease. Four more people died in Chinatown. Health inspectors visited Chinatown and found filthy conditions, perfect breeding grounds for the plague.

WholivedandworkedinChinatown?Chinese and Japanese rented from Hawaiian and haole landowners.

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Didscientistsknowhowtheplagueisspreadatthistime?No. They knew rats caught the disease, but they did not know how it spread from rats to humans.

What is the plague and how is it spread? Plague is a bacterial disease caused by Yersinia pestis. Rats, wild rodents, cats, and dogs can become infected with plague, which is then spread by fleas. Humans can contract plague if bitten by infected animals or fleas.

ListentothenextactforexamplesofhowtheHawaiÿiBoardofHealthrespondedtothiscrisis.

Act III: Rapid ResponseWhat happened in this act?

The Board of Health quarantined Chinatown, built a hospital, camp, and crematorium. They deputized citizens to search for plague victims. They raided private homes and sanitized them with lime. They burnt peoples’ belongings and built new toilets. They closed schools and halted marine traffic. They charged taxes on imported goods to pay for all of the quarantine measures. Under pressure, they lifted the quarantine.

What is lime? Quicklime is calcium oxide, a powerful disinfectant made by burning limestone. It is strongly alkaline and destroys pathogenic microorganisms. It is rarely used today because of its hazardous side effects. It is extremely caustic and causes skin burns and respiratory inflammation.

ClosingtheportofHonoluluinthaterawouldbelikeclosingtheairportstoday.Canyouimaginewhat would happen if all airline flights to the Islands were canceled? Who would be inconvenienced? If quarantine lasted for more than a few days, how would people get food and supplies? What would the general atmosphere be like in a quarantine zone, where no on could leave and no new supplies could be delivered?

How long was quarantine in effect? Seven days, from Dec 12 to Dec 19, 1899.

Why did the Board lift the quarantine? Chinatown residents wanted freedom and fresh supplies. Business owners wanted to do business. Ship captains wanted to move on.

Doyouthinktheyshouldhaveliftedthequarantine?

The next act will reveal whether the choice was a good one.

Act IV: The Great Chinatown FireWhat happened in this act?

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The Board of Health reinstated the quarantine and burned contaminated houses and shops down. The Chinese community bore the brunt of the property damage and felt unfairly targeted. Dozens more people died of plague. A controlled burning spread to a nearby church. All of Chinatown caught on fire. Police prevented people from leaving the quarantine zone, even though it was burning down around them.

Imagine what it would feel like to be trapped in a quarantine zone where your neighbors were dying ofahorrificdisease.Considerhowitwouldfeelifallofyourprivacywasstrippedandyourbelong-ingsthrownintothestreetandburnt.Thenimagineyourhomecatchingonfire.Youaren’tallowedtoleave.Howwouldyoufeel?Nowconsideritfromanotherperspective:howwouldyoufeelifyouwere on the outside looking in?

DidtheBoardofHealthneedtoburnpeoples’belongingsandhouses?Why?No. The plague is spread by fleas and infected rodents. If they controlled the fleas, they wouldn’t have had to place people in quarantine or destroy their possessions.

The Board of Health did the best they could with the information they had at the time. Still, their actions had major consequences for the people living in Honolulu.

Act V: An End to the Plague—We Hope

What happened in this act? Four thousand people were trapped in a stone church while Chinatown was burned to the ground. No one died, but many were homeless. The fire burned the plague-infest-ed fleas and rats as well. Because the quarantine was lifted too early, ships carried the plague to other islands. The Chinese population in Hawaiÿi dropped from 20 to 5 percent.

WhydidtheChinesepopulationdrop?Their homes and businesses were destroyed. They probably felt angry at how they were treated and scared that they might be treated that way again. Most likely they moved to other cities with large Chinese communities.

Doesplaguestillexist?Yes.

Doesitkillpeople?Very few. It can now be treated with antibiotics.

Coulditbedeadlyagaininthefuture?Yes, the disease could mutate into an antibiotic resistant strain.

What did you learn about epidemics and invasive species from this lesson? What did the Board of Healthdowell?Whatcouldtheyhavedonebetter?Rememberthis,becausetomorrowyouwillbereactingtoanimaginaryepidemicinyourclassroom!

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Teacher Version“Plague on Our Shores” Worksheet - Answer Key

Asanaudiencemember,whatcharacterwereyou?

Describeyourreactionsto:

ActI:[Accept any reasonable response; students will be missing answers for the act they perform in.]

ActII:

ActIII:

ActIV:

ActV:

ListatleastfivestepstheDepartmentofHealthtooktopreventthespreadofthebubonicplagueinHonolulu.

Answers include:• Quarantined Chinatown;• Built temporary hospital, camp, and crematorium outside of town at Sand Island;• Sent anyone with signs of plague to the temporary hospital;• Sent anyone who had been in contact with plague victims to the temporary camp;• Closed schools;• Deputized a volunteer brigade of private citizens to locate plague cases and infected premises;• Disinfected houses with lime; destroyed toilets and dug new cesspools; burnt belongings and rubbish;

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• Closed the port of Honolulu to both incoming and outgoing vessels; • Forbade any vessel to leave Honolulu Harbor without the prior clearance from the Board of Health;• Cancelled shore leave for mariners and passengers aboard vessels anchored offshore;• Ordered all offshore ships to stay offshore, declared them plague-free as long as no contact was made with the shore and no human case of plague developed onboard ship within seven days;• Ordered all foreign ships already docked at the wharf to move a minimum of six feet away from the dock, grease mooring lines, and attach rat-guards on lines anchored to the shore;• Exchanged cargo via shuttlecrafts to minimize contact with land;• Loaded export cargo under the strict supervision of a Board of Health inspec tor, to insure that it was plague-free;• Taxed imports to defray quarantine costs. Used tax monies to combat rats; • Burned infected homes and stores.

WhatkindofresistancedidtheDepartmentofHealthencounter?• People resisted quarantine;• Chinese people accused the Department of Health of racism;• Shop owners demanded compensation for destroyed goods;• Business interests demanded the re-opening of the harbor.

What long-term effects did the bubonic plague outbreak have on Hawaiÿi?• 337 people died;• Chinatowns on Oÿahu and Maui were destroyed;• Local businesses lost revenue or closed permanently;• Chinese population dramatically declined, from 20 percent of the total population to less than 5 percent.

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Teacher VersionRat Lungworm Response Strategy - Answer Key

Arequarantinemeasuresforsickpatientsrequired?Whyorwhynot?No, the disease is not contagious nor spread by human-to-human contact.

Doanyinvasivespeciesneedtobecontrolled?Ifso,whichones?Whatmethodswillbeusedtocontrol them?

Rodents and slugs should be controlled, particularly the semi-slug Parmarion mar-tensi. Rat traps and slug bait could be dispersed to areas where those animals occur. Biological controls for the semi-slug could be explored.

What kind of expertise do you need to respond to this emergency? Which agencies need to be in-volved?

Expertise could include: knowledge of how diseases spread (epidemiology), knowl-edge about slugs and rats. Agencies could include: Hawaiÿi Department of Health; Hawaiÿi Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife; Invasive Species Commit-tees on each island; pest control companies; media outlets: radio, T.V., and newspa-pers.

What kinds of decontamination procedures are necessary?Regularly disinfect cooking surfaces, utensils, toothbrushes, and any areas that might be infested with slugs.

Inspect and wash fruits and vegetables before eating.

Examine produce before washing. Remove any dirt, debris, insects, snails or slugs, and discard leaves that might have been damaged by snails or slugs. Clean raw veg-etables and fruits well before peeling, cutting, eating, or cooking. Wash produce under a cold-water spray and then soak it in distilled water for 1-2 minutes. Use a vegetable brush for produce with thick skin (melons, cucumbers, winter squash, citrus, potatoes). Waxy-skinned citrus fruits and cucumbers also may have pathogens sticking to the outside peel. With bunched fruit (blueberries, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, and similar fruits) spray or rinse in a colander with cold water. Remove all visible dirt and blot dry with a paper towel.

Use protective gear (gloves and/or tongs) when handling infected rats, slugs, or other animals.

Dispose of infected rats, slugs, and other animals. (Seal slugs in a plastic bag so that their slime will not be spread.)

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Listequipmentthatwillbeneeded:rat trapsslug baitglovesplastic bags

Whatisyourgeneralplan?Describestepstobetaken.Control rats and slugsWash produce and cooking surfaces/implementsInform public about threat, recommend prevention methods

When and for how long will the plan be implemented? Indefinitely

What information will be shared with the public? How and when will the public be alerted?Basic information about the disease, how it spreads, and prevention methods should be shared with the public. Public should be notified immediately. Press releases should be sent to local newspapers and T.V. and radio stations.

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Symptom Cards

Student 1: Aftersharingapicniclunch of fried chicken, organic green salad, and fruit salad, you and your friends all reported feeling sick.Atfirstyouthoughtit was food poisoning. But when the symptoms didn’t disappear after a day, you suspected something more serious.

Your symptoms:

• Severe headaches• Skin tingling and sensitivity


Your symptoms:• Severe headaches• Vomiting


Your symptoms:• Stomach cramps• Muscle spasms

Student 4: Aftersharingapicnic

lunch of fried chicken, organic green salad, and fruit salad, you and your friends all reported feeling sick.A

tfirstyouthoughtit w

as food poisoning. B

ut when the sym

ptoms

didn’t disappear after a day, you suspected som

ething more serious.

Your symptom

s:• Sensitivity to light• H

allucinatins

Student 5: Aftersharingapicnic

lunch of fried chicken, organic green salad, and fruit salad, you and your friends all reported feeling sick.A

tfirstyouthoughtit w

as food poisoning. B

ut when the sym

ptoms

didn’t disappear after a day, you suspected som

ething more serious.

Your symptom

s:• Severe headaches• Inability to urinate

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Symptom Card

Symptom Card

Symptom Card

Sym

ptom

Car

dSy

mpt

om C

ard

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PLAGUE ON OUR SHORESThe outbreak of plague in 1899 was one of the most dramatic public-safety disasters in Hawaiian history.Twoinvasivespecieswereresponsibleforthespreadofthisterrifyingdisease:ratsandfleas.

(StagedirectionsindicatedinCAPITALS.)

Act I: InfectionACTORA:OnOct.20,1899,thefreighterAmericaMaruunloadedriceandotherfoodstuffsatthewharf in downtown Honolulu. The cargo sat on the pier for a few weeks.

ACTORB:AsDecemberrolledaround,dockworkersbegannoticingwharfratsbehavingstrangely. ACTORC:Therodentswereventuringoutinthedaylight,anddyinginagony.Notjustafew.Hun-dreds of rats littered the pier.

ACTORSA,B,C,&E:IMITATERATS;STUMBLEANDDIEINAGONY.

ACTORD:Workersshruggedandsweptthedeadanimalsoffintotheharbor.Goodriddance.

ACTORD:SHRUGANDSWEEPRATSAWAY.

ACTORC:SCRATCHFLEABITE.

ACTORE:AfewblocksawayattheWingWoTaigrocery,YouChongscratchedatafleabite.

ACTORA:Thatbitecarriedthebubonicplague,otherwiseknownasBlackDeath.

ACTORB:Aweekafterthefleabite,Chong’stemperatureskyrocketedto105degrees.Plaguebacte-ria multiplied in his bloodstream. They settled into his liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs, and brain.

ACTORC:SHIVER,SHAKE,CONVULSE,ANDBREATHEINGASPS.

ACTORB:Chongbegantoshiver.

ACTORD:Hispulseracedlikedarunawaylocomotive.Hisbreathcameingasps.

ACTORE:ThelymphnodesinChong’sthighs,neck,andarmpitsbegantoswell.

ACTORC:GRABTHIGHS,NECKANDARMPITSINPAIN.

ACTORA:Theswellings,calledbuboesgivebubonicplagueitsname.Withinhours,theygrowtothesize of tangerines. They turn black as blood pools beneath the skin.

ACTORB:BlackDeathisaptlynamed.

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ACTORD:Withinthreedays,Chongdied. ACTORC:DIEINAGONY.

ACTORB,D,&E:EXAMINEDEADBODYWITHCONCERNANDHORROR.

ACTORA:Horrifieddoctorsexaminedhisbody.Theyknewthatthemostfeareddiseaseinhumanhistory had come to Honolulu.

Act II: History of the Black DeathACTORA:BlackDeathsweptacrosstheglobeinthreewaves.Thefirstpandemic,knownastheJustinianPlaguestartedintheyear541.ItbeganinEgyptandspreadthroughouttheMiddleEastandMediterranean,killing70,000people—onethousandvictimsaweek.

ACTORSA,C,D,&E:COLLAPSEANDDIE.

ACTORB:Later,inthe1340s,asecondwaveofhorrordevastatedEurope.Entirecitiesfellillanddied. Pyres burned without ceasing. Wagons piled with swollen bodies creaked through narrow streets.

ACTORC:PUSHWAGONANDCRY:“Bringoutyourdead!Bringoutyourdead!Bringoutyourdead!”

ACTORD:Injustfiveyears,25millionEuropeans—athirdofthepopulation—felltoBlackDeath.Bytheyear1400,40millionweredead.

ACTORE:ThehorrorrattledWesternculturetoitscore.

ACTORA:Hawaiÿiwashitduringthethirdwaveofbubonicplague,whichbeganin1890.Overtenyears,thediseaseinfectedChina,Japan,India,andSoutheastAsia.Twentymillionpeopledied.EventuallyBlackDeathcrossedthePacificandflaredupinSanFrancisco,stoppinginHonoluluonits way.

ACTORB:By1899,humankindhadthetoolsofsciencetocombatthedisease.IfscientistscouldidentifywhatcausedtheBlackDeathandhowitspread,theycouldstopitsterriblefate.

ACTORSA,B,D,&E:FOCUSMAGNIFYINGGLASS,SCRIBBLENOTES,ANDSCRUNCHEYEBROWSINCONCENTRATION.

ACTORC:Scientistsidentifiedthebacteriathatcausedplague:Yersinia pestis.

ACTORD:Underamicroscope,thebacterialookslikericemusubi.

ACTORE:Scientistslearnedthatratscontractedthedisease.Largenumbersofdeadratsoftenpreceded a plague epidemic in humans.

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ACTORA:Butthenooneknewyetthatfleasspreadthediseasefromratstohumans.

ACTORE:Meanwhile,withinhoursofYouChong’sdeathinHonolulu,fourmorevictimswerediagnosedwithbubonicplague.Theytoodied.AllwereresidentsofHonolulu’sChinatown.

ACTORSB,C,D,&E:CONVULSE,GASP,ANDDIE.

ACTORA:TheHawaiiBoardofHealthsentinspectorstoinvestigateChinatown.Whattheyfoundshocked them.

ACTORB:Theneighborhoodwasabustlingbusinessdistrict,butitwasalsoovercrowdedandun-sanitary.

ACTORC:Morethan7,000residentswerecrammedintoChinatown’sfiftyacresattheturnofthecentury, in an era when no building rose above two stories.

ALLACTORS:SQUISHTOGETHERLIKESARDINES.

ACTORD:ManywereJapaneseimmigrantsrentingfromChineselandlords,whointurnpaidHawai-ian and haole landowners.

ACTORE:Theneighborhoodwasburstingwithshantybuildings,chickencoopsandlivestockcorrals.

ACTORA:Sewageandgarbageoverflowedintothestreets.Theoutdoortoiletsreeked.Thealleysswarmed with rats, maggots, flies, lice, and cockroaches.

ACTORB:Itwastheperfectenvironmentfortheplague.

Act III: Rapid ResponseACTORA:BoardofHealthofficialsswungintoaction.Thatsameday,onDec12th,1899,theyquarantinedChinatownandpostedguardsarounditsedges.

ACTORSB,C,D,&E:STANDGUARDWITHIMAGINARYRIFLES.

ACTORB:Theybuiltatemporaryhospital,camp,andcrematoriumoutsideoftownonSandIsland.

ACTORC:Anyoneshowingsignsofplaguewasimmediatelymovedtothehospital.

ACTORD:Anyonewhohadbeenincontactwithaplaguevictimwassenttoliveinthetemporarycamp.

ACTORE:Thosewhodiedwerequicklycremated.

ACTORA:TheBoarddeputizedprivatecitizenstolocateplaguevictims.Deputiesraidedprivate

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homes, and sprayed the insides with lime to disinfect them.

ACTORB:Theydestroyedoutdoortoilets,anddugnewcesspools.Theyorderedresidentstodumptheir rubbish and belongings into the street to be burnt.

ACTORA:KNOCKDOWNDOOR&SEARCHFORPLAGUEVICTIMS.ACTORC:SPRAYLIMEONWALLS.ACTORD:TORCHBELONGINGS.ACTORE:DIGCESSPOOLS.

ACTORC:Schoolswereclosed.Marinetraffic,themainarteryofbusinessintheIslands,cametoahalt.

ACTORD:TheBoardofHealthclosedtheportofHonolulutoincomingandoutgoingships.Novessel could leave Honolulu Harbor without clearance from the Board.

ACTORE:Foreignshipswereorderedtostayoffshore.Shoreleaveforsailorsandpassengerswascancelled.

ACTORA:Afteroneweek,ifnocasesofplaguedevelopedonboardandnocontacthadbeenmadewith land, a vessel was declared plague-free and allowed to sail away.

ALLACTORS:BLOWKISSESANDWAVEBONVOYAGE.

ACTORB:Shipsalreadydockedatthewharfweren’tthatlucky.Theywereorderedtomovesixfeetaway from the dock, grease their mooring lines, and attach rat-guards on lines anchored to the shore.

ALLACTORS:PULLONIMAGINARYROPES,GREASELINES.

ACTORC:Cargowasexchangedviashuttlecrafts,tominimizecontactwithland.Exportswereinspected to insure that they were plague-free. Imports were taxed to pay for quarantine costs and rat extermination.

ACTORD:Aweekpassedwithoutanynewcasesofplagueinthecity.Manywerehopefulthatthedisease had been caught early enough to prevent a general outbreak.

ACTORE:Meanwhile,Chinatownresidentstrappedbythequarantinegrewimpatient.Theywantedaccess to fresh food and supplies, and the ability to move freely.

ACTORA:Businessownerswerelosingmoney;theywantedtheirshopsre-opened.

ACTORB:Shipcaptainswereanxioustogetbacktotheirhomeports.

ALLACTORS:ACTIMPATIENT,DEMANDENDTOQUARANTINE.

ACTORC:Underpressurefromthebusinesssector,theBoardofHealthliftedthequarantineatnoononDec.19th.Everyonewasrelieved.

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ACTORD:But…overthedaysleadinguptoChristmas,severalmorepeopledied.Theirterrifyingsymptoms could not be ignored.

ACTORE:TheBlackDeathwasstillaliveinHonolulu.

Act IV: The Great Chinatown FireACTORA:TheBoardofHealthreinstatedthequarantine.Thistimetheydecidedtoburndowncontaminated households and stores.

ACTORB:Personalbelongingsandcommercialgoodsthatcouldbeeasilymovedweresprayedwithlimeandmovedtoawarehouse.Everythingelsewasburned.

ACTORC:Agovernmentphotographertookpicturesofeachbuildinganditscontents.Thenitwasset alight.

ACTORA:TAKEPHOTOSOFBUILDINGS,ACTORB:SETHOUSEONFIRE.

ACTORD:Inhabitantswereforciblymovedtothehospitalordetentioncamp.

ACTORSA&D:DRAGB&COUTOFHOUSE.SPRAYTHEMWITHLIME.IFTHEYRESIST,THREATENTOARRESTORSHOOTTHEM.TORCHHOUSE.

ACTORSB&C:RESISTQUARANTINE.SOBOVERBURNINGHOUSE.

ACTORE:Honolulufiremensprayednearbybuildingswithstreamsofwater.

ACTORA:Soldiersandpolicekeptcrowdsinlineandwatchedforlooters.

ACTORSA&D:ACTASSOLDIERS.

ACTORB:Chineseresidentsfeltunfairlytargeted.TheyaccusedtheBoardofHealthofracismanddemanded compensation for their burned homes and belongings.

ACTORC:AlthoughthousandsofHawaiianandJapanesewereaffectedbythequarantineandburn-ings,Chinese-ownedbusinessesabsorbedthebruntofpropertydamage.

ACTORD:Thenewspaperskepttrackoftheburningswithmaps.Listsofthedeadwereupdateddaily.

ALLACTORS:CHECKNEWPAPERSFORDEATHS.

ACTORE:BylateJanuary,dozensofpeoplehadpassedaway.

ACTORA:ThenewcrematoriumonQuarantineIslandblazeddayandnight.

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ACTORB:OnthemorningofJan.20th,firemenwereconductingacontrolledburningwhenthewindscattered embers across neighboring rooftops.

ACTORC:ThewoodenroofofKaumakapiliChurch,thetallestbuildinginthearea,eruptedintoflame. ACTORB:Likeblazingdominos,oneafteranother,buildingsbegantoignite.

ACTORC:Wettingthebuildingsmadenodifference;waterevaporatedinstantlyintheheatofthefirestorm.

ACTORD:Merchantsfranticallytriedtodragtheirgoodsoutofstorefronts.

ACTORSA&B:FRANTICALLYDRAGGOODSOUTOFSTORE.ACTORSC&D:STOP

ACTORSA&BWITHRIFLES.

ACTORE:Chinatownwasablaze,andyetitwasstillaquarantinezone.Asbuildingsexplodedaround them, police prevented citizens from fleeing.

ACTORA:Theinhabitantsweretrapped.

Act V: An End to the Plague-We HopeACTORA:Bymid-afternoon,morethan4,000ChinatownresidentswerelockeduponthegroundsofKawaiahaochurch,astonebuildingthatsurvivedthefire.

ALLACTORS:HUDDLETOGETHERLOOKINGSADANDSCARED.

ACTORB:Luckilytheflamesburntthemselvesoutbeforetheentirepopulationwasseizedbypanic.

ACTORC:Noonediedinthefire,butChinatownwasreducedtoashes.

ACTORD:Asnightfell,thecitystruggledtocopewiththehugenumberofhomelessrefugees.

ACTORE:Therewasasilverlining:thebreedinggroundsforratsandfleasvanishedintheflames.

ACTORB:Unfortunately,Honolulu’squarantinehadbeenliftedprematurely.Infectedshipscarriedthe plague to the neighbor islands.

ACTORC:StartinginJanuaryof1900,severalpeopleonMaui,Kauai,andtheBigIslandcontractedthe plague.

ACTORSA,B,C,&E:CONVULSE&DIE.

ACTORD:OnMaui,likeonOahu,thedeathswereconcentratedintheChinatowndistrict.Officials

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decidedtoburntheKahuluiChinatowntotheground.

ACTORE:Thatkepttheplaguefromeruptingasanepidemic,butdidnoteliminatethediseaseentirely.

ACTORA:Overthenextfivedecades,randomcasesofbubonicplaguewouldshowuparoundtheIslands.

ACTORB:TheChinesepopulationinHawaiineverrecovered.ThenumbersofChinesecontinuedtoslipovertheyears,from20percentofthepopulationtolessthan5percentinthe1990census.

ACTORSA,C,D,&E:PACKUPYOURBAGS,PUTONYOURHAT,ANDBOARDBOATBACKTOCHINA.WAVEGOODBYE.

ACTORB:WAVEGOODBYETOYOURFRIENDS&FAMILYWHOARELEAVING.

ACTORC:Accordingtoareportpublishedintheearly1930s,337peopleinHawaiiwereknowntohavecontractedbubonicplague.Only34survived.This95percentdeathrateishigh,evenforBlackDeath.

ACTORD:ThelasthumancaseofplagueinHawaiiwasdocumentedin1947inKamuela.

ACTORE:AuthoritiesroutinelytestHonolulu’swharfratsforplague,becauseanewoutbreakcouldoccur at any time.

ACTORSA,B,C,&D:COLLECTRATSANDTESTTHEMFORDISEASE

ACTORA:TheBlackPlaguestillroamstheearth.ItisrampantinthewildrodentpopulationoftheWesternUnitedStates.Infectedfleascanliveforweeksaftertheirhostdies.

ACTORB:AccordingtotheNationalScienceFoundation,bubonicplagueisontherise,aswellasother rodent-borne pathogens such as hantavirus.

ACTORC:Campersandhikersshouldavoidsiteswhereanimalshavesuddenlydiedenmasse.

ACTORD:In2012,ayounggirlcontractedbubonicplaguewhilecampinginColorado.

ACTORE:Luckily,noonehastodiefromtheplaguetoday.Itcannowbetreatedwithantibiotics.

ACTORA:ButBlackDeathhasnotgoneaway.Theplaguebacteriumisstillpartofourglobalenvironment.

ACTORB:Outinthewild,thediseaseisbidingitstime,quietlymutatingwithinfinitepatience.

ACTORC:Anantibioticresistantstrainmayonedayappearonourcitystreets.

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Plague on Our Shores Worksheet

As an audience member, what character were you? (circle) shipcaptain,shippassenger,doctor,epidemiologist,Chinesemerchant,Hawaiianlandlord, lawyer, fireman, church pastor, schoolteacher, pregnant mother, plague victim, crematorium operator,other___________

Describe what happened in each act and your reactions:

Act I:

Act II:

Act III:

Act IV:

Act V:

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List at least five steps the Department of Health took to prevent the spread of the bubonic plague in Honolulu.

What kind of resistance did the Department of Health encounter?

What long-term effects did the bubonic plague outbreak have on Hawaiÿi?

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Rat Lungworm Disease Fact SheetRatlungworm(Angiostrongylus cantonensis) is a parasitic worm transmitted between rats and mollusks, including slugs or snails. When humans ingest an infected snail or slug — or even the slime left by these creatures — they can contract angiostrongyliasis, or rat lungworm disease.

People react differently to rat lungworm infection. Some do not have any symptoms, and others have only mild symptoms for a brief period of

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Rat lungworm (Angiostrongyluscantonensis) larvae burrow into nervous system tissue after they

are consumed by humans.Photo courtesy of: Center

for Disease Controltime. Severe cases can result in coma, brain damage, and death.

The parasite’s lifecycle: Adultwormslayeggsinsidethelungsofarat.Theseeggshatchintolarvae,which are then coughed up from the rat’s lungs and swallowed back into its stomach. The larvae are expelled in the rat’s feces, which slugs or snails (and sometimes freshwater prawns, crabs, and frogs) feedon.Asecondrateatsoneoftheseparasite-infectedmollusks.Theparasitestravelthroughtherat’s bloodstream to mature in its lungs and the lifecycle repeats itself.

When humans accidentally consume rat lungworm larvae, the parasites cannot finish their lifecycle. They burrow into the tissue of the nervous system, including the brain. The body’s immune system mounts a defense against the invasion. This response causes inflammation and swelling around the brainandthespinalcord,aconditionknownasmeningitis.Commonsymptomsofmeningitisinclude:severe headaches, skin tingling and sensitivity, stiffness in the back and neck, sensitivity to light, hallucinations, nausea, and vomiting.

Ratlungwormdiseaseisextremelyrareworldwide.IthasbeendocumentedinAsia,theCaribbean,andthePacificIslands,includingHawaiÿi.CasesinthecontinentalUnitedStateshavebeenlinkedto travel to those parts of the world. The parasite has likely been spread by rats on ships and by the introduction of mollusks.

RatlungwormdiseasewasfirstfoundonOahuin1958.Butbetween2004and2011,atleasttencaseswere reported on the island of Hawaiÿi. The spike in the disease corresponds to the introduction of the semi-slug Parmarion martensitoHawaiÿiin2004.(Semi-slugsareinbetweenslugsandsnails;they are mollusks with thin, insubstantial shells.) Parmarion martensi is particularly susceptible to rat lungworm infection; as it begins to dominate the slug habitat in Hawaiÿi, the prevalence of the disease increases.

The semi-slug Parmarion martensi is a prime carrier of rat lungworm

parasites. Photo courtesty of Digital Taiwan

Parmarion martensi is not yet known to be established on Maui. It is a high-priority for prevention through inter-island quarantine, along withotherinvasivepestssuchascoquifrogsandlittlefireants.Likethe little fire ant, the semi-slug is occasionally intercepted amidst the large quantities of cut ti leaves sent to Maui from the Big Island for luau decorations at Maui hotels.

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Slugscanbeclearandlessthananinchlong,makingthemhardtospot.Eachonecancarrythousandsof worms. Slugs may leave parasites in their slime trails, contaminating countertops, cooking utensils, and even toothbrushes.

To prevent rat lungworm infection: Regularlydisinfectcookingsurfaces,utensils,andanyareasthatmightbeinfestedwithslugs.Useprotectivegear(glovesand/ortongs)whenhandlinginfectedrats,slugs, or other animals. Seal slugs in a plastic bag so that their slime will not be spread.

Most importantly, take time to decontaminate fruits and vegetablesbeforeeating.Examineproducebeforewashing.Removeanydirt,debris,insects,snails,orslugs.Discardleaves that might have been damaged by snails or slugs. Cleanrawvegetablesandfruitswellbeforepeeling,cut-ting, eating, or cooking. Wash produce under a cold-water sprayandthensoakfor1-2minutes.Useavegetablebrushfor produce with thick skin (melons, cucumbers, winter squash, citrus, potatoes). Waxy-skinned citrus fruits and cucumbers also may have pathogens sticking to the outside peel. With bunched fruit (blueberries, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, and similar fruits) spray or rinse in a colander withcoldwater.Removeallvisibledirtandblotdrywithapaper towel.

Snails and slugs can hide in the folds of lettuce. Wash your vegetables thoroughly!

Photo courtesy of: University of Massachusetts

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Rat Lungworm Disease Response StrategyWhenever public health is threatened, government officials are expected to respond quickly and ef-ficiently. Hopefully a response strategy has been agreed upon in advance, so that emergency staff can get to work without delay. Sometimes, as was the case with the plague, officials have to act without knowingcriticaldetails—suchashowthediseasewastransmitted.Usewhatyoulearnedaboutthe1899 plague epidemic to create a response strategy for a modern outbreak of rat lungworm disease.

Are quarantine measures for sick patients required? Why or why not?

Do any invasive species need to be controlled? If so, which ones? What methods will be used to control them?

What kind of expertise is needed to respond to this emergency? Which agencies need to be involved?

What kinds of decontamination procedures are necessary?

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List equipment that will be needed:

What is your general plan? Describe steps to be taken.

When and for how long will the plan be implemented?

What information will be shared with the public? How and when will the public be alerted?

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Disease Diagnosis Chart Agroupoffriendsarrivedintheemergencyroomcomplainingofvarioussymptoms—somequiteserious.It’stoomuchofacoincidencethattheyallbecamesicksimultaneously.Yoususpectthattheyarevictimsofamysteriousepidemic.Usethischarttodiagnosethemasagroup.Ifanymemberofthe group has the symptom described, assume they all could have it and proceed to the next symptom.

Question #1: Dopatientshavesevereheadache?

Question #2: Arepatientssufferingfromnausea?Vomiting?

Question #3: Arepatientsexperiencingsensitivityto light? Hallucinations?

Question #4: Arepatientsexperiencingskintingling or numbness?

Question #5: Dopatientshaveseverestomachcrampsand muscle spasms?

YES:Couldbecausedbymanyailments.Continuetoquestion#2tonarrowitdown.

NO:Nodiagnosis.

YES:Continuetoquestion#3. NO:Diagnosis:dehydration.

YES:Continuetoquestion#4. NO:Diagnosis:Influenza.

YES:Continuetoquestion#5. NO:Diagnosis:Possibledrugoverdose.

YES:Continuetoquestion#6. NO:Diagnosis:Migraine.

1 of 2Activity #4

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Question #6: Dopatientshavediarrhea?

Question #7: Dopatientshaveinabilitytourinate?

Question #8: Were patients exposed to raw vegetables?

YES:Diagnosis:FoodPoisoning.

NO:Continuetoquestion#7.

YES:Diagnosis:Meningitis,continuetoquestion#8todeterminetypeandcause.

NO:Diagnosis:Viralmeningitison.

YES:Diagnosis:Parasiticmeningitis,caused by rat lungworm infection.

NO:Diagnosis:Bacterialmeningitis,caused by pneumococcus.

2 of 2Activity #4

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Invasive Species Unit 2APPENDIX

The Silence of the FrogsFrom The Maui NewsApril 10, 2005 - story by staff writer, Valerie Monson

MAKAWAO–Infightingtheswarmsofcoquifrogsthatcandrivereasonableadultsmad,oneisthemost frustrating number.

“It’sallaboutpeoplepower,”saidAdamRadfordoftheMauiInvasiveSpeciesCommittee(MISC),talking about the key to eradicating the thumb-sized frogs with sirens in their throats.

“It’sawasteofresourceswhenyouworkuptoaborderandyoucan’tgoanyfarther.We’llnevergetontopofthiswithoutneighborhoodsandpersonalresponsibility.”

In other words, no matter how vigilant the effort of an individual who daily sprays, blasts and vapor-izes the frogs on his or her property, peace and quiet can’t be guaranteed until an entire neighborhood joins one way or the other.

That’s what has brought together the residents of a rural enclave outside of Makawao. Because proper-ty values can wither if word gets out that frogs come with the house and lot, some of those interviewed don’t want the name of their streets revealed even as the numbers of invading vertebrates have been dwindling through their coordinated attacks.

“ThisisprobablythemostorganizedgrouponMaui,”saidRadford,sittinginthelivingroomofmarinebiologistAnnFielding,whoishappytoannouncethatheryardisofficiallyfrog-freethankstoherfriendsandneighbors.“Alotoftimes,you’llgetoneortwopeoplewhoarereallyproactive,two or three who will be supportive but not active, and one that’s not necessarily supportive and takes someconvincing.”

Fieldingsaidherneighborhood“frogsquad”hasgrowntoincludeaboutadozenregularswhoshowup at the group’s monthly meetings and participate in hunts that take place after dark when the males ofthisnocturnalspeciesletloosewiththeirtorturouscallsof“ko-KEE,ko-KEE.”

Not just an outlet to whine about their common problem, the frog fraternity has provided hope to those who feared they would spend the rest of their nights with earplugs and Tylenol.

“Onceyouhearthefrogsandyouknowyou’vegotthem,youjustthinkyouhavetolearntolivewiththemuntilyourealizethere’sawholegroupthatcares,”saidFielding.“Yourealizethere’ssupportandenergy.”

And,already,therehavebeenresults.

“Wecangooutandinjustafewnightswecanmakeabigdifference,”saidBobHobdy,wholivesnextdoortoFielding–andnolongerhasfrogs,either.“ThisreallyhasbecomeaSWATteam.”

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The story of the coqui frogs illustrates in horror-movie fashion how an alien species that looks as harmlessasaflycanhaveentirecommunitiesinanuproarinlessthan10years.Itwasn’tuntil1997that the first ear-splitting screech was heard in Pulehu, such a strange sound that it was thought to be an exotic bird.

Nowadays,theinvasionhasreachedthepointthat,inJanuary,BigIslandMayorHarryKimtoldthestateLegislaturehiscountyshouldbedeclaredina“stateofemergency”becauseofthefrogs.AlthoughMauihasn’treachedthatcrisislevel,MauiCountyMayorAlanArakawahasaskedtheLegislaturefor$2milliontohelpgetridofthefrogsherewhileit’sstillpossible.That’sinadditionto$450,000thatthecountygrantstoMISCtoattackalienspeciesingeneral.

AbilltohelpwiththeeradicationofthefrogsremainsaliveattheLegislature,butnodollaramountwill be designated for the item until the final budget is hammered out between the two legislative houses.

However, government, like one individual, can’t stop the shrieking of the frogs on its own.

“Thebigchallengeisforpeopletocareenoughtogetactivethemselvesandnotjustsay‘Oh,letthegovernmentdoitall,’”saidHobdy.

MembersoftheRealtorsAssociationofMauihavebecomesoalarmedthatthey’veappointedacoquifrog subcommittee.

“There’salreadybeenaneffectonsomepropertyvalues,”saidTerryTolman,executivevicepresidentoftheassociation’sboardofdirectors.“Ifyouwerebuyingapieceofpropertyandyoudidn’tgothere at night when you were in the process of buying and the first night you went to bed and heard the frogs, how would you feel? It’s a big issue. There could be a major hit on property values and tourism.”

RealtorBobHansen,whohasfirsthandexperiencewiththefrogs,headsupthecoquisubcommittee.HansenbecameacquaintedwiththecriesbecauseheownsacondounitacrossthestreetfromaKiheinurseryinfestedwithfrogs.Later,heheardasinglecoquiintheWaileaneighborhoodwherehelivesandquicklycalledthepresidentofthehomeownersassociation.Thefrogwascaptured–andnonehasbeen heard since.

“Thisissomethingthat’sgottobeattackedrightawayorwe’llbejustliketheBigIsland,”saidHansen.

TolmansaidRealtorsmustmakesellersawarethattheyhavearesponsibilitytoletfuturebuyersknowif coqui frogs are infesting a property, just as they’re required to disclose other problems.

The effects of the coqui and other invasive species on land values has become such a hot topic that RadfordandstatewildlifebiologistFernDuvallhavebeenaskedtoaddresstheRealtorsassociation’sgeneral membership meeting at the end of the month to increase awareness and emphasize the serious crossroads where Maui stands.

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Radford,whocametoMISClastJune,saidneighborhoodgroupsareessentialatthisjuncture.Eventhough the number of frogs has risen slightly in the last few years, he believes that, with enough people power and funding, Maui can avoid the fate of the Big Island.

“MostsitesonMauiareaccessible,”saidRadford.“Mygoalistomakesubstantialprogressbytheendofthissummer.”

That’saprettyambitiousschedule,butRadfordsaidtheMISCstaffis“reallyrampingupoureffortsthissummer”whenacrewoffourworkerswillbebroughtontemporarilytoconcentratelargelyonthe frogs.

Whileneighborhoods-in-actionworkthebest,Radfordknowsthatsuchenthusiasmforcivicdutywon’t happen everywhere. He simply wants to get permission from property owners to give him and his colleagues access to the land to capture the frogs by hand or to spray citric acid that kills the coqui on contact.

“Sometimesittakesmorethanonevisit(toconvincethehomeownertolethimworkontheprop-erty),”saidRadford.“Theeconomicargumentsmakesensetosomepeoplewhentheenvironmentalonesdon’t.Whenyoutalkabout(declining)propertyvalues,alotoftimestheysay’OK,comeany-timeyouwant.’“

Ifyouhearfrogsinyourneighborhood,callRadfordat573-MISC(6472).

FritzBathelt,whohasbeentryingdiligentlytoridhis10-acreHuelolotoffrogsforyears,saidhehopeshomeownerswilldomorethanjustallowRadfordaccess.

“Iagreethatwehaveachancetoeradicatethemifwestayontopofthingsandgetthefrogs,”saidBathelt.“ButwecannotleavetheresponsibilitytoAdamalone.Hecan’tbeeverywhere.Peopleneedtogetthefrogswhentheyfirsthearthem.Theyneedtogetinvolved.”

TheremightbenohomeowneronMauimorededicatedtofrogannihilationthanBobFlint,whosestorybook house in a gulch that was once used as a stone quarry has gone from nighttime idyllic hideaway to nails-on-a-chalkboard. The amphitheater walls cause the already-shrill cries of the male frogstoechoinstereo,andthesteephillsidesblanketedwithvegetationforcedFlinttolearntorappelup and down cliff faces to help him in his mission to stamp out the frogs.

“Thisisjustapartofmylifenow,”saidFlintashematter-of-factlyfilledaplasticbackpackfoggingmachinewithacitricacidmixturethat’slethaltofrogs.“Almosteverynight,I’mouthere.Thegoodsideisthephysicalexercise.Iguessyoucouldsayfrogsaregoodfortheheart.”

Butnotforthepeaceofmind.Inhiszealtoweedoutthefrogs,Flinthastriedeverythingknowntoexperts and then some. He’s used fungicides, sprays, a pellet gun and even once considered building aflamethrower.Therecentcool,wetwinter–whichseemstokeepthefrogsquiet–gaveFlintsomemuch-needed time off.

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However,withthereturnofspringandtheupcomingdryheatofsummer,Flintandtherestoftheneighborhood squad know that their evenings will become a lot busier.

“I’vebeenenjoyingthecoldweather,”saidFlint.“Buttheseasonisuponus,andI’vegottogetbackinthemodeofdoingthiseverynight.”

Flintworries,though,thatallhiseffortsmightbefornaughtifnurseriesandindependentplantsellerscontinue to import frog-infested stock and pass them on to unsuspecting customers.

Fieldingsaidshe’dliketoseenurseriesgivenfinancialsupporttogetthemfrog-free.Hobdysuggestedthat only nurseries that have been inspected and certified as frog-free be allowed to sell plants.

“Iftheycan’tsellplantsbecausethey’renotcertified,thatwillgettheirattention,”hesaid.

NancySnow,nurserymanageratKulaTrueValueHardware,saidshe’scarefultodobusinessonlywith wholesale growers she’s familiar with. One of the nurseries she orders from on the Big Island comeswithabillofsalethatstates,“allplantsguaranteedtobecoqui-free.”

“Peoplewhoordershoulddemandthatthewholesalerisfrog-freeordon’torderfromthem,”advisedSnow.

BobHansenurgesfellowRealtorstoboycottallnurseriesontheislandthatcarryplantswithfrogsorfrog eggs.

Fightingcoquinotonlyaffectspropertyvalues,ithitsthewalletinotherways.Flintsaidhisfoggingmachinecosthim$700andhismonthlytabforcitricacidrunsabout$300.

Wearingagasmaskandheadlampwhileholdingthelongspraygunattachedtohisbackpack,Flintlooks more like he’s ready to sign up for duty in Iraq than spend an evening flushing out frogs. “Let’snuke’em!”hecriesashecranksupthemachine.

WithFlint’sheavyartilleryavailable,hisneighborhoodgrouphasmoreweaponsonhandthanjustspraybottlesofcitricacid,butRadfordsaysthoselittlebottlesmightbeallthatmanyresidentsneedifthey take action when that first screech is heard.

That’s what Hobdy did.

“Wesuddenlyhadtworightoutsideourbedroomwindow,butwewentoutandnailedthemrightaway,”saidHobdy.“Ihaven’thadanyactiononmypropertyforafewmonths,butyoujustcan’tletthemgetgoing.Youhavetokeepthematbay.”

Andyouhavetogetalittlehelpfromtheneighborhood.

http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/7756/The-Silence-of-the-Frogs.html

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Koa (Acacia koa) is the monarch of the Hawaiian forests. Its name also means warrior and brave one. With a name like this, it is no coincidence that it is the largest and most dominant tree in the forest. Its wood is one of the most beautiful in color and grain and it has great workability and stability. The

Hawaiians prized it as the premier wood for canoes, and the harder dryland woods were used for tools, weapons and paddles.

Koa is also a benevolent parent tree to its smaller neigh-bors in the mesic forests. Its great spreading crowns are relatively open, allowing ample light to filter through for the smaller trees, shrubs and ferns in the understory, while its roots, in partnership with symbiotic rhizobial bacteria, produce nitrogen that also nourish the understory plants. Where the finest koa forests grow, the most luxuriant maile vines proliferate.

By Bob Hobdy, Photos by Forest and Kim StarrThe Many Faces of Koa

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Koa is also extremely variable in stature and appearance throughout its statewide range. So much so that at one time three segregate species were recognized. High elevation trees look different than low elevation trees, and wet forest trees look different than dry forest trees. Koa has adapted to a wide rangeofhabitatsandchangedtobettersurviveinthesehabitats.Asanexample,thekoa forests at highelevations(4,000-6,000ft.)ontheleewardslopesofHawai‘iandMauihavedevelopedextremelywideleaves.These“leaves”inkoa are actually enlarged leaf petioles called phyllodes that are thick and leathery.

These have evolved to replace the delicate bipinnate true leaves, apparently as a means for minimizing desiccation in dry climates. Typical koahaslongsickle-shapedphyllodes15-30mmwide.Thehighelevation koa,however,havephyllodes40-55mmwidethatareblunttippedandonlyslightlycurved.One theory is that wide phyllodes provide more surface area for condensing water out of fog. In upper KulaandKahikinuiwherethesetreesgrow,theannualrainfallaveragesabout40inches.

This is peripherally low for koa,whichprefers60-150inchesperyear.Ontheseleewardslopes,however, there is usually a thick cloud bank that forms from the gentle orographic lifting of warm air during the day. This dense naulu cloud is full of moisture, but little of it falls as rain.

These broad phyllode koa condense great amounts of water from these clouds to the point that it “rains”underthesetrees,nearlydoublingtheactualprecipitationandcreatingamoreidealclimatefor these trees and their understory beneficiaries. Koa trees in both wetter and drier forests away from this naulu cloud have phyllodes of normal width. Of special note are the koa trees that grow in lower KïpahuluValley.Thesetreeshavelong,extremelynarrow(6-8mmwide)phyllodesthatgivethesetrees a lacy appearance.

The range of koaforestonEastMauiisofinterest.OntheleewardKulaandKahikinuislopesitliesinanelevationbandbetween3,500and6,000feet,consistentwiththeoccurrenceofthenaulu cloud. But koa does not naturally occur on the windward slope where rainfall is too high for its liking due to the trade wind effect. So koawrapsaroundtheedgesofHaleakaläonlytoKailuaonthenorthwestcornerandonlytoKïpahuluonthesoutheastcorner,andthenabruptlystopswhererainfallexceedsabout200inchesperyear.ThegreatKïpahuluValleyisliterallyfilledwithkoa forests while the adjacentWaiho‘iValleytoitsnorthhasbutahandful.

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Likewiseonthenorthwestcorneradensekoa forest occurs at Honopou then suddenly gives way to a lowstatured ‘öhi‘aandfernforestatKailua.Anotherinterestingcharacteristicofthesetwoendpointsisalsotiedtorainfall.WherethetradewindswraparoundHaleakalätheisohyets(linesofequalrainfall) lie vertically on the shoulders of the mountain rather than horizontally as they do on both the windward and leeward slopes. Thus the zone of ideal rainfall for koa(60-150inchesperyear)stretch-esfromnearsealevelto7,000feet.OnthenorthwestitrunsfromlowerPeahiuptoupperWaikamoiandHosmerGrove,andonthesoutheastitrunsupKïpahuluValleyfromjustabovethehighwaytotheupperreachesofthevalleybelowKuikiandPohakuPalaha.Onthemaptherangeofkoa looks like a boomerang with parentheses on each end.

Alsoofbotanicalandculturalinterestisthelow-statured,gnarly,dryforestspeciesknownaskoai‘a or koai‘e (Acacia koaia).Thisalliedspeciesgrowsinthehotlowlandsbetween1,200and2,000feetonthe leeward side of the island.

It has an interesting range as there is a considerable space between where it grows and the koa which is higher on the slope. The name koai‘e connotes koa with connection to fishing. Indeed great shark hooks were crafted from curved roots or branches of this strong wood. The name koai‘e connotes koa with a connection to kapa (barkcloth) mallets, which in fact was another major use.

This article first appeared in the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens Newsletter (January 2006) and is re-printed with permission

of both the author and the Gardens.

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